Thursday, July 25, 2019 – A roundup of some of the key sports technology stories you need to know, including SportTechie’s own content and stories from around the web.
- Amazon will stream tennis’ French Open to Prime subscribers based in France from 2021 through 2023. The tournament’s new broadcasting deal will see most matches broadcast on France TV, except those played on the Simonne-Mathieu court and night sessions on the Philippe-Chatrier court—which will stream on Amazon. The semifinals and finals will broadcast on both Amazon and France TV. Amazon’s existing European tennis portfolio includes rights to stream the ATP World Tour, Women’s Tennis Association, and U.S. Open in the U.K and Ireland.
- Athlete performance platform Edge10 is merging with electronic medical records company Athlete RMS. Edge10 Group will provide performance analytics and athlete medical record management solutions to leagues such as the NHL, MLB, the ATP, and the CFL. “We serve dozens and dozens of the most recognisable sports brands in North America, and not only will we expand these services globally, but with the addition of EDGE10’s expertise in performance, this will create a fully integrated offering for our clients,” said Gaétan Lefebvre, co-founder of Athlete RMS and former Head Athletic Therapist for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens.
INSTINCT VS. DATA: How the Portland Timbers Are Reorienting the Franchise Around Sports Science
- Sports marketing agency Wasserman launches Athlete Exchange, an athlete-driven content platform. Athlete Exchange will use algorithms to match Wasserman athletes with each brand’s desired audience. According to Wasserman’s press release, Athlete Exchange “will evolve athletes into a network of individual media channels and will bring the entire digital endorsement model in-house.” The new media product will provide creative services, talent, production and media distribution on athlete social channels.
- Formula 1’s esports racing series expands to China in its search for top virtual driving talent. The F1 New Balance Esports Series China Championship will run events from August until the end of the year. The champion and runner-up will then be entered into the 2020 F1 Esports Pro Draft. “China is an incredibly important market to Formula 1 and we believe there is massive potential to grow the passion for motorsport and cultivate the love for F1 as a sport in this region through F1 Esports,” said Julian Tan, Head of Growth & Esports at F1, in a press release.
- Youth sports fundraising platform FlipGive has raised a $5 million Series A round. The investment was led by Framework Venture Partners with contribution from iGan Partners and FJ Labs. Youth teams signed up to FlipGive can receive cash back on purchases of products from partners such as Apple, Nike, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Since the company launched in 2016, more than 35,000 teams and clubs have signed on and earned a combined $20 million.
Question? Comment? Story idea? Let us know at talkback@sporttechie.com